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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29852670">The Soles of His Feet</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKnightOfAGoodKing/pseuds/AKnightOfAGoodKing'>AKnightOfAGoodKing</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Afterlife, Ancient Egyptian Literature &amp; Mythology, Friendship/Love, Implied Rivalshipping, M/M, Reunions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:42:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,201</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29852670</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKnightOfAGoodKing/pseuds/AKnightOfAGoodKing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Excerpt:</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <i>The defendant's confession has been accepted and judged, and now, he will walk through the Lily Field and into the glory of infinite life.</i>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <b>[DO NOT REPOST/REUSE MY WORK(S) WITHOUT MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND PERMISSION]</b>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Atem/Mutou Yuugi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Soles of His Feet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> When his heart is placed on the empty scale, the balance neither moves nor wobbles, and mutters of shock and awe run throughout Osiris' court, the Forty-Two Judges and the other deities unable to recall the last time a heart had been so light. Thoth hums in amusement, and Anubis raises a hand, bringing silence.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> "The weighting of the heart is a crucial matter," the king of the dead says from his throne. "However, it is only the first of the tests. Confess your sins, Yūgi Mutō." </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The single spirit, a king himself when he'd been alive, merely smiles. "I lived my life half complete," he answers, "but I have no regrets."  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The Forty-Two Judges do not know what to say to that. They were expecting a list, not a statement, so they turn to their leader, seeking out his wisdom.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Osiris, deathly green, simply nods, and a light explores the court, blinding and hot. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The defendant's confession has been accepted and judged, and now, he will walk through the Lily Field and into the glory of infinite life.   </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Yūgi wakes up with sand in his mouth, and he is greeted by a rainbow sky at the crux of dusk. It's beautiful here, so beautiful that it makes him groggy as he sits up. He holds his head in his hand, blinking a few times. </p><p>Sitting there on the dune, the King of Games takes in his dress. It's nothing that he had ever worn in his first life; pure white and made of linen, his shendyt falling just under his knees, and he is wrapped in a sheer kalasiris, tied at the waist with a long yellow sash and wide beaded collar draped over his shoulder and chest. His fingers and wrists are adorned with gold, jewels entwined into his hair and draped over his limbs. He wears no shoes, but the sand is not scorching but simmering to the touch. </p><p>Though he knows where he is, he was not prepared to be sent here, nor was he prepared for the youth he had lost so many years ago. Time was rewound for him, but no memories are lost. Here and now, they are clearer than ever, and he's a teenager again, his hair yellow, black, and red that had once, like his grandfather, gone gray with age. He touches a blond bang, smiling. </p><p>Pushing himself to his feet, Yūgi takes in the desert that was his bed. All around, sand stretched for as far as the eye could see, winds singing softly as they kicked, shifting the landscape like water, water from which the blue lilies bloomed. </p><p>Then, before him, facing the rising sun, he sees it, a capital of a city shining like gold, and overlooking it like a guardian is a palace. That is why Yūgi is here, to find what he has been waiting for so long. They'd given him this as his reward. He was the King of Games, the first of his title, savior of the world, vessel of the great pharaoh. They brought him here, and now, it is his forever if he wished. </p><p>But it's a distance away. There is no better time to start going than now, Yūgi thinks, and he makes his first steps, walking down the dune he awoke on.</p><p>The air is calm, no storm coming his way, and the path is pleasant, the blue lilies bearing a soft glow as the sun sets. Slowly, the rainbow was overtaken by stars, traveling by a milky stream. The city continues to shine, growing larger and larger with every step.</p><p>It is even more beautiful up close, its stone walls towering like a monolith. The columns of its entrance were crafted so intricately, a poem of welcome carved in ancient hieroglyphs. There is no gate, just two guards standing in front, and they see Yūgi when he sees them, slowly dropping to their knees as they lay down their curved sword. They lower their heads to him. </p><p>"My pharaoh," one of them greets. </p><p>"My king," the other says. "We've been awaiting you."</p><p>Yugi smiles. "Thank you," he replies, nodding his head. He glances up from them and past the stone entrance, and he sees the golden path that leads straight to the palace. "Will I find him there?" he asks.</p><p>"Yes, your majesty," the second guard answers. "He has been anticipating your arrival since he first arrived himself. Shall we announce your presence, sire?"</p><p>"No, that's alright. I think I would like to surprise him." </p><p>The first guard lifts his head. He doesn't look at Yūgi but the ground he's standing on. "Pharaoh, your feet," he says, shocked. "Let us get you a pair of sandals." </p><p>Yūgi shakes his head with a little laugh. He is aware of how dirty his feet have gotten on his walk, tolerating the ache that had settled in his flesh and bones. He wonders why pain exists here, what purpose it serves. He also wonders if he’d been walking with blisters, skin numb from the rough sand. "It won’t be necessary," the king refuses again. "I’ll be alright. I woke up without them, so the gods must have some reason for it."</p><p>"I see, sire," the first guard says, lowering his head again. "I presume that you won’t have us escort you to the palace then?"</p><p>"You presumed right."</p><p>The guards keep their head down as Yugi starts walking again, and as he passes them, they turn their bodies to follow his movement. </p><p>Stepping through the entrance, it is like entering a different realm where the landscape of sand and lilies make space for grand buildings, homes, and monuments, water flowing free between them, and here, the people, all young, lounge and converse among the reeds, doing chores and working because they wish to. Time was rewound for them too, and here, lost children are found, laughing and playing in joyous eternity. They are so happy here, dressed in white linen, and no scars or calluses mark their bodies, their hairs grown out and decorative. The sun here does not scorch or harm for Ra is kind and loving to the good people who passed judgement. The citizens, like this city, are beautiful, and they catch Yugi’s attention the most, just as he catches theirs.</p><p>They look at him once, and like the guards, they lower whatever they are holding and kneel down, bowing their heads to him. They know who he is; they have heard of him through stories, but they know when a god walks among them. </p><p>"Pharaoh," they address him and other things. "My king." Their voices tell him of their joy to finally receive him, praising him. Soon, the people are lined up on each side of the golden path, word of his arrival spreading quickly. And amongst the people is the first familiar face, the man’s eyes lowered though he does not kneel. That speaks nothing of his loyalty and devotion.</p><p>"Shadi," Yugi says with a laugh, and the last keeper of the Key falls in line with his steps. "It’s been a long time.” </p><p>"It seems just like yesterday that we last met," the keeper replies, smiling gently. "At least, it is to me. The passage of time is different here, much swifter than that of the mortal world, but it doesn’t run out. How many years have passed, I did not count. I don’t need to know. My heart is glad that you are finally here, my king."</p><p>"I was relieved to see you go, just as I am happy to meet you again. Thank you, my friend, for everything you’ve done."</p><p>Silence settles between the two as they continue on the golden path. More and more people came to bow, greeting Yugi. Everyone wants to see his arrival, the lone, humble parade of the last son of Ra. This is a city that houses an empire, and so, it is an empire that is at his feet. When the golden path ends, a massive crowd has gathered at the bottom of the palace steps, all for him. </p><p>From there, Shadi leads Yugi, and nobody follows. The steps are grand, and they reach high, far above that at the palace entrance, Yugi could see the city in its entirety. He is once again in awe, heart gasping at the stars above and the earth below. </p><p>"Come, master," the keykeeper says gently, turning his body away from the steps and towards the palace. </p><p>Yūgi is right behind him, taking in the grandeur of tall columns and thick walls. Lush greenery grew through cracks in the floor, entwining with the architecture and the colored paintings on the stone and marble. They tell great stories from the origins of creation to the ascension of Horus, wise figures and symbols carved to speak for all of eternity.</p><p>And found between the stories, the walls and the columns, are people, people the king recognized. They see him as he sees them, and they wave, their faces shining with joy and relief. Yūgi will meet them again but not yet.</p><p>Shadi comes to a stop at a threshold of a garden overgrown with exotic flowers and trees. Yūgi could smell the sweet scent of ripe fruits where he stood, drowning his lungs and seeping into every inch of his body. He could only imagine how they taste on his tongue, their juices quenching the thirst of a thousand men. </p><p>"He is in there," Shadi says, taking a step back from Yūgi with a bow. "Welcome home, my king."</p><p>Yūgi's heart is beating loudly in his chest, his blood running hot through his veins like melted gold, and he's smiling, nervous and excited. <em> He is in there, </em> he repeats to himself, eyes looking through the threshold. He wants nothing more than to walk through there, but he is not sure if he is ready, a whole lifetime apart making even the closest of people change. What if Yūgi is no longer the person he remembers, or the person he loves? Would eternal life still be a gift, or a burden?</p><p>"Go on, Yūgi. You're no coward."</p><p>The king gasps, turning his head, and he comes face to face with someone he'd loved for years—<em> I still do</em>. "Seto," Yūgi exhales in a whisper, and he wants to come closer and embrace the man who had returned to the form he'd taken in his first life. </p><p>(Like a ghost, Shadi takes his leave.)</p><p>Regal and handsome, Seto stands tall, chin held high. Though he is in only in his priestly garb, he still holds the presence of a pharaoh for he is one. In the Field of Reeds, his spirit reunited with his soul to become whole, his duties and loyalties strengthened by his bonds, old and new. He is Priest— <em> Seto</em>.</p><p>"He's been waiting for you," he says, voice unwavering. It is as if his words had been long written in time. He looks at Yūgi with soft eyes. "Don't waste any more time, Yugi." </p><p>The king couldn't help but smile, and he nods, remembering that his feet are on the ground. "Thank you," he replies. </p><p>There is a pause. "My brother, how is he?" </p><p>"He misses you." </p><p>"It's been years."</p><p>"He still loves you with all his heart. I wouldn't be surprised if he arrives here like I did." </p><p>"Is that so? Then I'll continue to wait for him."</p><p>Seto takes his leave too, turning towards the palace steps that lead to the city. "Come find me when you've had your fill. Let's duel again."</p><p>Yūgi watches as the priest goes, his back disappearing to the rest of the forever. The king turns back to the threshold, alone and without fear, and he walks into the garden, eyes searching for his other half, his twin, his equal, his friend. The sweet smell in the air grows even sweeter, enticing like the flowers that bloom in full glory and bursting with colors like stars, but they are pale in Yūgi's mind as he continues on, searching like he had when he was alive. </p><p>It is here that he finally finds what he is looking for, sitting in a clearing under the fading glory of Ra with a small bird perched on his finger, and he is wearing the finest fabrics and gold, white and yellow adorning him like a second skin. He is ageless, young like his last moments on the mortal plan, but he is not trapped here. He is free, his expression gentle with an awe for life<em>, </em> and <em> he is beautiful.  </em></p><p>Yūgi's breath is taken away, a sob jumping out of his throat as he steps out of the garden's shadow and he catches the pharaoh's attention. Their amethyst eyes meet for the first time in a long time. It would not be their last ever again. </p><p>"Yūgi?" </p><p>"Atem." </p><p>The pharaoh gets up, the bird he was tending to flying away, and he is running, arms wide and mouth in a shout. "Yūgi!" he cries out with a stuttering laugh, and the king is running too, meeting his other half in an embrace. </p><p>Their bodies meet like two waves turning into one, their arms wound around the other in a vice grip that begged never to let go and their faces rested on the other so closely that they exchanged the air in their lungs. It is then that the sky dips into a rosy pink as Ra delivers the sun to its rebirth, and tiny lights reveal themselves in his absence, telling their own stories into the night. But neither king nor pharaoh takes notice, their eyes only on each other. </p><p>They are laughing and crying, their noises filling the garden with their presences. </p><p>"I missed you, I missed you," Atem says, and he kisses his other half, his lips like butterflies on Yūgi's cheeks. "I missed you, I missed you. The gods, they brought you to me, Yūgi, they brought you back to me." Tears are rolling off his chin as he spoke, voice on the verge of breaking. </p><p>Yūgi nods, his arms tightening in both awe and disbelief. If he were to let go, would it all go away? He is afraid that this is a dream, a dirty trick his lonely heart is playing on him. He lived a lifetime and loved many people, but a part of him was always missing, like a puzzle without its final piece. </p><p>"Atem," the king says, blinking away tears, but he cannot stop from crying. "I loved you, I loved you then, and I love you now. I love you. I wished I told you then."</p><p>The pharaoh smiled. "I knew, Yūgi," he replies. "I've always known."</p><p>"How?"</p><p>"Because I hoped it would be true, for my affections to be returned, and it has. And it is beautiful, my hopes turned into truth, glorious in your form and heavenly in this life." </p><p>He takes Yūgi's face in his hands, holding it like something sacred and holy, and he presses their lips together in a tender union, slow and gentle like the wadding of time. Minutes could've passed, maybe even hours, and every second is not borrowed time but a gift, a reward for all their sacrifice and patience. They do not break apart; their kiss simply fades out, like a wave on the shore pulling back to the sea. There will be others to come, both high and low. </p><p>That is when Yūgi finally feels it all, the exhaustion in his bones and the ache in his feet, and his knees buckle under the weight of relief. Atem catches him, arms around his waist, as Yūgi rests his head against his other half's shoulder. </p><p>"You walked all the way here without any shoes," the pharaoh says, almost chiding, and Yūgi feels himself being swept up from the stone ground. He is being carried like a bride, which would be embarrassing had he not been too tired to argue. "Shabti," Atem calls out, "bring water and a towel to the throne room." </p><p>And out of the foliage of the garden emerges a servant woman made of stone, colored brightly in red, blue, and gold. She bows in acknowledgement and walks backwards back from where she came, head kept down in respect. </p><p>"Are they everywhere in the palace?" Yūgi asks, placing his arms around Atem's shoulders as he is carried out of the garden through another entrance where the walls tell more stories that he does not know. There is so much here, and time, time to commit them to memory one by one. Since the moment he reached the highest step, he has been hearing them whisper in his ear like hummed lullabies.</p><p>"Shabti are wherever we call them," Atem replies, "they were created to serve us. In the living world, they were made of clay, but here, they are remade from the earth of this land, their form larger and their features more exquisite. I will teach you how to command them, Yugi. I’ll teach you everything."</p><p>"Even the secrets of the universe?" </p><p>"Even those. And I will teach you how to discover them yourself too."</p><p>"I have a lot to learn, don't I?" </p><p>"Only if you want to. But for now, rest."</p><p>Atem soon walks them into a large room where the walls stretch for what seemed like miles and the ceiling is high above their heads like the dome of the sky. It shines with gold in here, every inch shimmering as far as the eye can see, and Yūgi is caught in amazement, the floors made of the same precious material and engraved thinly with hieroglyphs that sing the praises of Atem and of those who came here before him. He is the last pharaoh, the last song etched to make his throne that much larger. </p><p>And on the other side of the room is a throne, large and golden, set on a high platform. Above, Ra’s light comes through, falling onto whoever sits there. That is where Atem takes Yūgi, and where he places him. By the throne is a basin of water and a rag, and Atem gets down on his knees before Yūgi, taking him by the feet and placing them into the basin. </p><p>A cool relief runs up Yūgi’s entire body, and he is rejuvenated, just by touching the water. It is as if he did not walk across the desert, as if he had just woke here. </p><p>Oh, so that is the purpose of pain, why it exists here. It is the same as death and sorrow; good begets good, but does pain, death, sorrow. People die forgetting that, but here, they remain because this is a second <em> life</em>. To live is to smile and to cry, to reunite and yearn. To make memories and remember. </p><p>“Will you always do this for me, Atem?” Yūgi asks quietly, watching as Atem begins to wash the soles of his feet. </p><p>“Yes,” Atem replies, a smile on his lips. “It’d be my honor.”</p><p>His touch is warm in the water, gentle and caring. There is no rush; there is all the time in the universe.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Check out my YGO Tumblr: <a href="https://the-kings-of-games.tumblr.com">@the-kings-of-games</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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